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Fallopian Tubes

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The female reproductive system includes two fallopian tubes, one on each side of the uterus. These flexible, trumpet-shaped tubes extend to the surface of each ovary. When the ovary releases an egg, finger-like projections at the flared end of the tube catch the egg. It is there, in the tube, that conception occurs if the egg meets sperm and becomes fertilized. Tiny hairs inside the tube’s lining push the resulting embryo (fertilized egg) out of the tube and into the uterus where it implants and grows.

Tubal-related infertility may result when one or both tubes are blocked, or scarring or damage to the tubes occurs.

What Causes Problems with Fallopian Tubes?

Blocked fallopian tubes may be caused by an infection from a sexually transmitted disease such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which causes scar tissue to build up on the walls of the tubes. Endometriosis also may result in scar tissue and adhesions which can block the fallopian tubes.

In an ectopic pregnancy (also known as a tubal pregnancy) the embryo grows in the fallopian tube instead of in the uterus. Surgery for an ectopic pregnancy can cause the fallopian tube to rupture and lead to infertility. An ectopic pregnancy can also be a life-threatening situation.

In other instances the fallopian tubes are blocked because the structure of the tubes is abnormal. Structural disorders are usually due to birth defects.

Tubal Factor Infertility

Adhesions may distort the normal structure of the fallopian tubes and make pregnancy difficult. Blocked, damaged, or scarred fallopian tubes can prevent the tubes from functioning properly. When scar tissue blocks the tubes, fertilization cannot occur since the egg can’t get through the blockage to the sperm. The blockage can also trap a fertilized egg near the ovary preventing it from traveling through the fallopian tubes to the uterus.

About 20 percent to 25 percent of infertility cases are due to problems with the fallopian tubes. Depending on the extent and location of the blockage, some fallopian tube problems can be corrected with surgery.

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Comments (107)

I went into the hospital for an emergency gall bladder removal, and my surgeon said I have a few adhesions, and that it may (or may not) lead to me not being able to become pregnant. The adhesions haven't touched my tubes though. So, there's a chance I can still get pregnant, right?

Sabrina, I'm sorry to hear that you're having concerns following your gall bladder removal surgery. I am not a doctor nor do I have any medical training to advise you on this matter. However, If you are concerned about your fertility following this surgery I highly recommend you get a second opinion perhaps with a fertility specialist. If you need help finding a specialist in your area feel free to email me directly at Julie@fertilityauthority.com

I have had my TUBES tied for 7 years, my menstrual cycle is normally regulated, but it came late one month and I began experiencing pregnancy symptoms, afraid of undergoing an ectopic pregnancy so I went to the ER. My urine sample was negative, my blood work was inconclusive, and my ultrasound showed something implanted along my uterine wall. They diagnosed me with fibrosis, however, the symptoms does not match the way I feel. Could it be possible that it's an embryo, rather than fibrosis?

Hello - if you are concerned about whether or not you're pregnant or have fibrosis I highly recommend that you consult with your Gynecologist as soon as possible to determine what is going on. If you had your tubes tied and not cauterized then it is possible for them to untie (as I'm sure you're aware as it seems as though you've done your research) call your OB/Gyn. Best of luck

Hi, am 26yrs old. I hav single Fallopian tube and that is left itself, my right ovary only forms eggs not left ovary. Am scarred about pregnancy and I hav irregular periods what can I take next treatment.

I had an eptopic when I was 21 now am 31 I had my tube removed as it ruptured and am sure doctor said I had scaring on my other tube I haven't ever become pregnant but also when I was 27 got told I had psos cyst on my ovaries and was told to take the pill I did so for about a year then just come off it and never spoken to my doctor about it and never have become pregnant but was wondering could me leaving the cyst over the years have harmed the one tube I have left as didn't no theses could get worse or even be playing apart in me not getting pregnet I just thought maybe my tube was to damaged as can remember him saying was but my head was a mess at the time and if my tube was badly damaged wouldn't they have removed it when had my other removed??

Hello Claire,
Based on your inquiry have you considered seeing a RE? I believe you need to be seen by a specialist and they will be able to guide you and provide appropriate care. Please contact our PCAs at 855-955-BABY (2229) and we will be able to further assist you.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Bhavi

About 15 year ago I had both of my tubes remove due to what I was told a sis on my ovarie an now am unable to have children I have one but would love too have 2 more. I would like to know what have caused me to have my tubes to be removed at a very young age.

Unfortunately, no, your fallopian tube will not grow back. Many women do conceive naturally with one tube. If you do not, or if you have additional concerns about your fertility, you should see a fertility doctor. All the best, Claire

im currently 18 weeks pregnant, with 3 rd baby but 4th pregnancy (I have had one termination inbetween my 1st and 2nd son. went for my 1st scan finding out I was just 6 weeks pregnant, cause it was so early with the scan they couldn't find my left ovary? Could this mean there could be another baby in there just hiding? I went for another scan at around the 10 week mark and still no left ovary. Have my 20 week scan soon, just needing to put my mind at rest before this next scan! Please any advice or suggestions!!

I have a ectopic pregnancy last 2008 and my right ovary . Do I have a chance to having a 2nd child after my ectopic?my 1st son is 4yrs old,i go to my oby then in my ultrasoun my left fallupian tube is blocked im so worrid again! The only way is to surgeon again pls..help me can I tke medicine

Hi my fallopian tubes were removed I was not informed that my tubes had to be removed only the cyst off my ovaries then three weeks later I was told they removed them of course I'm 26 yrs old never been Prego before and I wanna if u have no tubes where do the egg fall too

Hi Dominique,
It sounds like you have a lot of questions and concerns. I am sorry you are going through this! You will not be able to ovulate without fallopian tubes. You should consult a fertility doctor to see if you are a candidate for in vitro fertilization (IVF), which bypasses ovulation. Give us a call at 1-855-955-BABY (2229).
Kim

It is possible for you to get pregnant. You have to keep in mind that presuming you ovulate normally, you would ovulate from your right side one month and left side the next. Since you had the left ovary removed, it is likely you are ovulating every other month from the right tube. Depending on your age and how long you have been trying to conceive, it might be time to talk to a fertility doctor in your area about fertility treatment. Give us a call at 855-955-BABY (2229) and we can connect you with a reputable fertility doctor in your area!

Hello I am 35 years old and I had tubal Ligation after the birth of my second son in November 2008. I just found out and had laposcopic surgery cause my left tube was attached to my outer body of uterus with scar tissue. I was wondering if anyone knows with this happening is there a chance the tubal ligation did not take on the left side? the doc freed my fallopian tube back to where it should be ..

I am 30 yrs old, I gave birth when I was 19 to a healthy baby and then right after I went on bc (depo), I stayed on it for 4 yrs and then quit taking it. When I was 25 I met the love of my life and immediately wanted to try and have a baby together,( I have one boy and he had 3 boys crazy I know lol). So around 2006 is when we really started trying, we never went to a dr about fertility or anything we both just thought if it is meant to happen then it would happen. Well in 2009 I woke up one morning in severe pain in my abdomen area took a pregnancy test and it was positive, we called my dr and he told me to go to the hospital he was ordering test to be done, so a couple hours later and by this time the pain had eased up tremendously, they came in and told me that I was in fact pregnant but it was an ectopic pregnancy in my left tube and they had to remove my tube but said my right tube looked great and I should have no problem getting pregnant again. Here it is 3 yrs later and I started going to another dr a few weeks ago and he decided to perform a surgery to see if I had scar tissue or something because I have frequent pain in my abdomen, he didnt find much tissue or anything but did find that my right tube is blocked by my uterus and suggest i go see a specialist cause he thinks they can repair it and then I should be able to get pregnant then. Anywya sorry such a long story I was just wondering if anyone else has had anything similar to this and what they did to correct it?

I understand your concern and think your question would be best directed to a fertility doctor. If you are trying to conceive and are looking for a fertility doctor in your area, you can email me at carecoordinator@fertilityauthority.com and I would be happy to help!

Hi there, I had a laparoscopy last week and my surgeon said I'd never be able to conceive naturally. I've been doing research online and now I don't understand why he didn't just create a hole in the scarring so that no blockages occur. If anyone can shed any light I'd be so grateful - I'm pretty devastated by this news.
Thanks,
Bella x

hi wonder if you can help me.i already have a 4 year old little girl from my previous relationship.. but wanting to go on for another.
i found out around 3-4 monthes in to my relationship with my new partner that he had givin me a horrible std. this was treated quickly and had a test after to confirm that i no longer had the std.
after trying for over 2 years to conceive my docter tranferd me to gyny. to have a laporoscapy? think that's how it's spelt?. when i came around after the procedure i was told by a lady docter that they had found a cyst and removed it and they had putten dye through my tubes etc. and everything looked ok that through the cyst pushing on my tubes could of been the reason of not conceiving. but nothing else.
a few weeks later i had to go back to see i prusume the dr who preformed the laparoscapy. to find out that i wasent ok that due to the std (infection) had caused me sevear scaring to both my tubes and that the only way of ever becoming a mum to a newborn would only be through having ivf and i stand a 40-50% chance of this working... we are distraught by this incorrect information and feel weve been neglected we was not offerd support in dealing with this information nor fully explained to us about the diagnosis of the reson why i wasent conceiving and due to having a child already do not apply for funding so we will have to fund this ourselfs. we would prefer to repair the damage to my tubes if this is possible...i don't want to give up all hope im only 22 and feel there is more to help me but no one will give me any information please help us......

I don't have ether fallopian tubes they were both taken with both Pregnancies. I'm not sure who is the best doctor to go and see about the IVF or how much everything will be this is my first time doing this and I'm not sure how to go about this.

Hello,
I'm 27 years old I was diagnosed a year ago my two tubes are blocked through Hysterosalpingogram (HSG). Before that in 2008, I had an abortion and that was my first pregnancy. Since that my husband and I tried to have baby, and went through lots of examinations and treatments, still no result of getting pregnant. What is the best way for this fallopain tube problem? /My husband was diagnosed with low sperm count, but doc said this cannot affect for non pregnancy/ Need help!!!!!!!

Hi jtsegmid - You don't say if you've seen a fertility doctor or if you've been diagnosed and treated by an ob/gyn. Because you have a couple of factors that are contributing to infertility - blocked tubes and low sperm count - it's really important for you to see a fertility doctor who can develop a treatment plan to help you get pregnant. Here's a link to help you find a fertility doctor in your area. Let me know if you'd like any more information.

In 07' and 08' my husband and I had two ectopic pregnancy or also known as a tubal pregnancy and for both pregnancy they were both a surprise. Is it possible to get pregnant without your fallopian tubes or is IFV the only option?

Hi bernalittle1 - IVF is often the treatment option if you have blocked, scarred or damaged fallopian tubes. You really should see a fertility doctor - a reproductive endocrinologist - who can take a look at your tubes - and do a complete fertility workup - and determine the best course of treatment.

Hi! PLEASE HELP!
My husband and I got pregnant on our first fertility treatment with Clomid. Unfortunately it was ectopic and I had surgery to abort at 6 weeks. The doctor removed to right tube and removed scarring from the left tube. We are in our 2nd month of treatment and I'm worried that I'll have another ectopic. How likely is that since the scarring on my left was removed? I just need some peace of mind.

i am 22 years old married 1and half year ego. i had previous history of ovarian cysts. i had an operation at the age of 16 years. i had two operation and dr. has removed my one ovary and fallopian tube. and i had one left and few days back i have abdominal pain and came to know that i have few more ovarian cysts. and this time i did laproscopy and removed cysts. now the Dr. are saying my another fallopian tube is blocked. i need to know any one can help me or guide me how to remove the blockage of fallopian tube. need your guidance and support. kindly help me.

hi my name is gemma,im 26yrs old,i have a 6yr old daughter,ive been trying for a baby for 2 and a half yrs now,ive had tests and they were normal,but my doctor said that i should go to a fertility clinic.the thing is,during intercourse i get some kind of pushing feeling,its uncomfortable and im worried it could be something blocking my tubes,i will be having more tests soon but i just wanted to know if somebody can reassure me,can i still have babies if they are blocked? can i have surgery to unblock them? please help :)

I had my first child at 21 and havent been pregnant since his birth. We have been trying and I havent gotten pregnant once. I have very heavy periods and pains during. I had a c-section with my son and was wondering could that cause fallopian tube blockage. I also have a very small cyst in my ovary. I am 30 now and really want another child. :(

i am 41 years, for the first time in life i got pregant in 2006 Dec but later did an abortion, and now am married but can not get pregant. I also did HSG test in October last year and was made to understand that my two tubes are blocked. what can i do, can it be open again?

Fallopian tubes plays a vital role in fertility of egg hence always special care should be taken for fallopian tubes before pregnancy.The causes that damages fallopian tubes should be avoided by every women planning a child.

i had eptopic pregnancy. My tube burst. now i have 1 tube left. I got it tied. The doctor said he couldnt burn the end of the tube he just tied it. but he told me it will come loose in 13 years and it did. The string he use to tie my tubes came out while in the shower. I wanna know will I still be able to have another baby. Is it possible!!!! I just wanna say after the eptopic pregnancy I had another baby before i got my tube tied..

Its been 2 years we've been married..Iam 30 and my husb is 37..we've been trying from past 2 years but no result.i have a siste towards the left side.doctors said that should'nt effect pregnancy.got a chk up done.uteres is healthy.i'am more on obesity side.pls help me..

When I was twenty-two I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend. I thought it was okay but little did I know he was cheating on me. He gave me chlamydia and I found out when I got my annual check up. I only had it for almost two weeks they gave me one pill by the name of Zithromax and it cured the infection. I went back to the doctor a week later and there was no sign of infection. I am now twenty-five and married ( to a different guy!) and my husband and I are trying to concieve and after eight months of trying nothing is happening. Would that infection have something to do with it?

No I don't believe it will affect ur chances of having a baby, I had that too with my 1st and it wasn't picked up till half way through, luckly I was able to have the tablet also. But I have had 3 pregnancies since then, I had one termination, (for the right reasons), one perfect lil man, and am now 18weeks pregnant with my 3rd. I just think if it goes untreated or not found for a long time it can have long term problems, but still hear in Australia, U can have a baby, while having that Chlamydia the baby and mother just need to be treated asap after baby is born. There is a higher chance of catching Chlamydia off a public toilet seat these days. Well that's how I was told I probably got it as I hadn't had unprotected sex it was only the second blood test they picked up an infection.

i caught a std off my partner didd'nt have it verry long to find out the std had caused me sevear scaring to my tubes which has made it impossible for me to conceive naturally. my only option now is ivf tell your docter to look into you. x

If U don't mind me asking what STD did U have to cause this damage? As I had chylimida ( sorry can't spell that) with my 1st son/ pregnancy and it wasn't detected till about half way through my pregnancy but was still able to be treated with the 2 tablets.

I have a blocked fallopian tube and I have pcos and my husband has a low sperm count. I have clomid twice at the obgyn and no ovullation and femera gave me a horrible rash . I had no idea that he was charging my insurance with fertility. By the time we got to the fertility doc we had a good bit of our benefits used up. So had one round of clomid at 150 mg and a hsg, and internal ultrasound . Found out that i was ovulating on the blocked side. No insemination that month. After all that i Found out that everything was used up. Now I was wondering if the tubular canilluation is the best decision they have o idea why my tube is unblocked, If unblock the tube my chances go up a little. I have to pay out of pocket for all my fertility treatments. We dont have a lot of money. My mom wants me to ge the surgery and she is worried it could burst . my question is can cysts grow ovarians if you have pcos. Please help me what i should do.